


Remnants of the past

by Luckyjack



Category: RWBY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2018-12-15 17:11:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11810481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luckyjack/pseuds/Luckyjack
Summary: A collection of mishaps and encounters of Devin Jackal and his crew before the events of A Stray Jackal





	1. Chapter 1

It was the last train for the day, so the seats were filled with nothing but the leftover food and news papers from the last ride. Oscar held tight on the handlebars as he walked through the passenger car he was in. He didn't think his first time would be this quiet save the pitter-patter of the rain growing ever louder. Though the ride was steady, he was still shaky from meeting the man who helped him get his ticket. Ozpin warned him about him, having history with someone can mean a great many things.

The cart was near empty save for Oscar and a man with a black beanie and a long brown trench coat sitting far from them. He was quietly drinking from a flask while playing with his Scroll phone. Though he couldn't get a good look of the man because of the flickering car light, he sought to keep his distance but Ozpin thought otherwise. "It's okay don't be shy" said Ozpin.  
"I'm not" he said before rethinking what Ozpin said, "wait, shy from what?"  
"The man over there" he insisted, "I know him, don't worry." But Oscar is beyond worrying. Ozpin was just a voice he started hearing in his head days ago, a voice that kept on reminding him that they were somehow connected. That they had obligations to fulfill. And although he understood the weight of these obligations, he is still himself and right now he is uneasy of meeting the people Ozpin knows.

"Look, you told me I only had to go to Haven. You didn't mention I'd be meeting your old friends" he pouted.  
"He's not an old friend per se. His name's Devin, you can trust him" Ozpin bartered.  
"I don't care", Oscar pleaded. "I don't want to talk to them if I don't have to."  
"What if I do?" it sparked a curiosity in Oscar, made him considered reconsidering Ozpin's request.

"Hey. Friend" the man started, his voice was heavy and mildly irritated. He drank once more from the flask before talking. His Scroll was still on his hand, "as much as I'd enjoy watching you argue with, um—you, I'd prefer to be watching this video of a dog riding a robot vacuum in peace. So if you don't mind" he smirked and his index finger in front of his lips.

"So-sorry", Oscar was stunned for a moment. He was expecting a worse reaction but nevertheless startled. "What?!" he started again. The man knew what was going to happen, he closed his eyes and just inhaled deeply through his nose, his grip on the scroll tightening. "Why would I tell him that? That's weird", he continued. Giving up and not wanting to beat a dead horse, the man just took out his earphones, let out a long sigh first, then put them on and maxed the volume in his phone.

"Are you sure he'll get it?" he considered.  
"He'll know what it means" answered Ozpin.

Oscar started to approach him, getting a better look than before. He saw that he had light-brown skin and brown eyes. He drew closer, the man was starting to notice. The only thing in Oscar's mind was that the guy wasn't that big, somewhere around 5'7, maybe 5'8. He took another step; the man didn't button up his trench coat even though the rain outside brought an unearthly cold. He could see a peek of his white shirt underneath. Another inch closer, his beanie didn't seem to fold as it rested on his head, as if something was holding it up underneath. Another step, he could see something resting beside the man but couldn't get clear picture because of the flickering lights. One last inch, he stood in front of him, about to speak.

But then he saw the modified sniper rifle sitting beside the man.

Oscar stopped for what felt like day. He couldn't go on. The man caught wind of the situation, he paused the video he was watching and smiled at the farm hand. "May I help you?" he asked slyly.  
"He, um—he told me to, um, tell you" he tried. The man squinted at him then looked around the car, expecting to see someone but knowing they are alone. He extended his free hand to him and gestured him to go on. A moment of reassurance and Oscar continued, "He told me, um, te—ask you, who walks the road paved with yellow bricks?"

Devin's eyes widened as he stared at Oscar, immediately sizing him up, looking for hidden pockets and possible weapons. He took off his earphones and hid them in along with his Scroll in his pocket, then leaned closer to him, "The daughter of Atlas, the cat in the shadows, the heart of Patch, and the silver-eyed warrior", Devin answered calm but vigilant. Oscar turned his head and tilted it a bit as if listening to someone, Devin's eyes just met the floor , enthralled in deep thought.

"Stand firm" Ozpin assured him, "don't be scared."  
"Why would I be scared?" Oscar refuted.  
"Because he's reaching for the rifle."

Devin took the sniper rifle and held it close to him, thought to himself for a moment then turned to Oscar. "Do you know who I am?" challenging him.  
"Like I told you" Ozpin reminded. Oscar had to gulp down first then took a deep breath before setting his gaze on Devin. There was sudden fierceness in his eyes as he looked to answer the faunus.

"You're the jackal the other jackals drove off" his voice was commanding and assertive.

Devin realized and he put down his rifle beside him again. "So it really is you" he was relieved.  
"Yep," Oscar assured him, "in a way."  
"Haven't heard from you in months" he was smiling now and a bit giddy, like a girl visiting her grandparents again. "You, uh, you got younger" his true self was showing.  
"It's complicated" he tried to end the conversation.  
"I also remember you being—white" his entire self showing.  
"That's the Devin I know" Oscar laughs a little. The conversation started to feel natural, like he knew what was going to happen. Every word, every action flowed naturally like water down a river. He was still in control of himself but he didn't expect to control the situation. The conversation lasted two minutes, maybe three. He talked about things he can't remember but Ozpin does. Things like Beacon, maidens, artifacts. It was all a blur afterwards. The two of them enjoyed one last laugh together before he started "So, let's talk business."  
Devin sat up straight, attentive, "Now, that's the Ozpin I know" he cracks one last time and smirks at Oscar, he smirks back.  
"What news of the girls?"  
"Ruby and her team were spotted passing by a settlement in Anima, near Shion. Weiss is still in daddy's place. Not much going on with her, except for this one incident during a party. She snapped at one of the guests" Devin just shrug at the thought.  
"How about the others?" he inquired.  
"Yang Xiao Long is at their home in Patch, quiet usually. Can't blame her, it's not every day you get to lose something dear to you."  
"Seems like you can relate" Oscar cracked at him. He just smiled back, took his flask, smiled again, then took a sip.  
"By the way, you want some?" he offered his flask.  
"No, thanks" he declined, "not much of a drinker."  
"It's not wine, promise."  
"What is it?" he was quick to ask.  
"Grape juice", he was quicker to reply as he held the flask near Oscar's face. He took one reluctant sniff and confirmed it was juice but still declined. Devin sipped again before continuing, "As for Blake, I can confirm she was spotted boarding a ship to Menagerie. Reuniting with her parents, I believe."

Oscar nodded, he looked outside the window, and thought for a moment. "How's the family?" he asked.  
"You mean where?"he clarified, Oscar shrugged. "I haven't heard from father yet, probably still with Khan. Jin, however was spotted along the ruins of Beacon."  
Oscar's face turned to concern, "When?"  
"A month ago. He's not looking for them don't worry", the statement didn't stop Oscar.

"He's looking for me."

"That is troubling" commented Oscar.  
"Haven't heard from him since" said Devin, "however, his right-hand, um, fiancé, Ember, was spotted in a camp west of Haven."  
"How many?" Oscar inquired.  
"Too little" he replied. "Anyway I'm on my way to check it out right now. I'll get back to you once I can."  
"No, need. I want you to keep an eye on the girls first" ordered Oscar. "Once I reach Haven, I'll give you the signal."  
"Alright, sir. I'll go down the next stop then" he smiled.

The train started slowing down, the bell rang and the entire room lit up. Devin took his sniper rifle's strap and wore it on his right shoulder. Then he took his flask and put it inside his coat before he walked up the door. As he waited for the doors to open, he looked back at Oscar and bid him goodbye. He waved back at him.

The train stopped, and it was flooded by passengers as soon as Devin exited. The rain has ended and the sky has calmed. Daylight started to break. Devin has disappeared into the waves of commuting people rushing to work.

"See that wasn't so bad", Ozpin started.  
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he wasn't."


	2. Coming to Vale

Two Years ago in the Kingdom of Vale…

A clear blue sky wrapped over Vale as the winds softly caressed the waves calm. Sun Wukong sat attentively across Devin Jackal was beside him and rested his head upon the wooden crates. He wore a black mid-rift long-sleeved jacket over a gray shirt and pair blue jeans. "No way, you're a-?" Sun's eyes latched on him, bewildered by the sweet-worded Faunus.  
"Yep, White Fang," Devin replied with reluctant pride. "Former member a few years ago," his quick reminiscing was like the first day of spring.  
"I've heard the White Fang were them holier-than-thou type of people," he sneered.  
"An understatement, to be honest," he sneered back.  
"What did you guys do?" Sun's curiosity was always his best trait.  
"Wasn't really there for long, just two years I think," he said, caught off guard. "Not much really, protests and rallies were my thing. Don't know what they're up to now."  
"Nothing good from what I heard," Sun cooled down for a moment and breathed in the cool sea breeze. "So what do you do now?" he asked Devin.  
"Got a job interview in Vale, some kind field work."  
"Which field?" he asked.  
He took a quick breath then peeked out the window. "Don't know yet but I guess we're about to find out," he replied as the horn sounded and the ship was about to dock in Vale. Sun stood up and ran to the windows, his eyes glimmered like the sun reflected by the humble sea.

Buildings stretched out over the horizon. The commercial centers of Vale sang with vigor as people traded and bargained with one another. Then Sun ran to the other side of the room and glimpsed at the other side of Vale. Students, huntsmen and huntsmen-in-training marveled as he marveled as they stepped foot in Vale for first time. They bore witness the simple yet elegant innovations the people of the kingdom made real. "W-o-o-o-o-w", was the only word he could muster.  
"First time, huh?" Devin asked and Sun just nodded without a word. "Been here before, this is just icing on the cake," he said as he patted him on the back.

As the two watched over the horizon three crew members wearing gray vests over black shirts walked into the storage room. "Hey, you there!" one of them screamed, a young man with brown hair as he spotted the two stowaways. Sun's immediate reaction was to brace himself and prepare to sprint away yet he looked at Devin who was still collected and merely raised both hands with a smile on his face.  
"Quick, we gotta bail," he told the smiling Jackal.  
"You go on head, I'll see you later," he whispered to him.  
"As you say so," he said as he sprinted with great haste and passed the men in front of them. He somersaulted on the walls and sent them tumbling down as they tried to catch him. "Go get him, I got this one," one man told the other two. "You stay where you are," he ordered Devin who complied with a shrug.

As sun ran past the two crew members and a couple of policemen on his way into the city, Devin remained below, staring into the open sea. His thoughts wandered far into distant lands. He remembered how they were once new and different. And now that Sun has gone, he wandered further into their streets and alleys that used to dance and sing of progress and change. "Hey," the man with him called his attention and he gave it without a thought. "Don't try anything," he said as he reached behind him and took out a nine millimeter pistol and rested it at his side. Devin grew tired as the man remained near the doorway, waiting for rest of the crew. He laid his hands down and instantly the man aimed the gun at him.

"Don't do it dirt bag or I swear," the man's grip was loose yet his finger was reluctantly holding the trigger.  
"Swear what?" Devin's answer was quick.  
"I swear I'll shoot you, that's what," he answered, the sweat on his brow ran down his face like raindrops on a window.  
"Is that so?" Devin smiled at him.

Then he looked back onto the sea, closed his eyes and took a deep breath and listened.

The waves crashed onto the shores of Vale as calmly as the winds allowed it. The birds sang as they fished over the sea and nested upon the masts of the docked boats. Tourists and newcomers chatted among one another as they first laid their eyes upon the city of Vale. Devin listened, a talent he has proudly honed his entire life. His jackal ears paid close attention to many things nearby. The sea in rhythm, the birds in the sky, the people in their astonishment, the man in his fear to pull the trigger.

"Tell me, friend," Devin started, "have you ever shot someone?"  
"What?" he kept his arms steady.  
"When you shoot someone," he finger-guns in the air, "Bang! The bullet shouldn't pass through you just like that," he explained as he paced a little. "Or at least, not instantly. See that's not what bullets were designed for," he walked closer.  
"Stay back," the man's voice cracked as his control on the trigger started to loosen up and he aimed at Devin's head.  
"Because if you get shot and the bullet goes in one side and out the other, then it's not gonna do much," he takes another step. "I mean sure it might puncture an artery or an organ but that's it.  
"I said stay back!" he demanded.  
"Won't actually kill targets, just make them bleed and bleed," he was now a few feet away from him. "And bleed."  
"Don't come any closer," he muttered under his breath yet Devin still heard it.  
"See the thing is, as squishy as we are, we're strong enough to stop a speeding bullet," he moved within arm's length of him. "Or shatter them to shrapnel anyway, and what happens when we do? The shrapnel bounce around inside you. Go wild like a rat trapped by a bucket. They'll tear and claw their way out of you along with everything in their momentum," he stared down the man's eyes. "That's what they're designed for."  
"Back off!" one last try from him as he regained composure for a moment and then the gun's barrel stared back at Devin. "If you don't back off, I'll make bullets bounce inside you.

Devin scoffed then took one last step and the gun pressed softly against his chest, "How are you gonna do that when the safety's on?"  
The man panicked, the little composure he had fell apart in a second and he tilted the gun to look and saw the safety lock turned to "Semi-automatic".

Devin's right hand grabbed hold of his and held it in place, without the barrel facing him. He tried to wrestle it away but it was clutched tight and Devin wasn't moving as he looked down upon the shrinking man. "Listen," he began, "I'm kind of behind schedule and I don't really care much about you, so here's the deal," he bargained as his free hand reached inside the back of his jacket and pulled up his own pistol. "Just stay here, don't point that gun behind my back or I will shoot. Let me walk away and if anyone of your crewmates come at me, it's okay. You don't have to do anything except stay down here and I won't hurt anyone," he raised his other hand in a pledge, "I promise, deal?" in response he received a quick nod and he replied with a smile. "Great," he exclaimed as he put his pistol back in the holster hidden on his back. His hand was still on the man's gun and he gave him a friendly pat on the cheek as he greeted him, "Have a nice day." Then he walked past him and up the stairs.

There was no one above deck, the pair of crewmates from earlier were on the pier talking to a few policemen. Devin hid behind the rails of the ship as he peeked at them, "Sun" he whispered to himself, and then he sat against the railing and took off his beanie and put it in his pocket. His eyes canvassed the deck, made sure no one was nearby and then he curled up and his body and clothes melded and he grew fur. His jackal ears straightened up, a muzzle formed out of his mouth, and a tail grew behind him. Just like that, he turned into a small jackal.

He walked past the people in conversation, he didn't need to bother and be bothered by them. Down the bustling streets of Vale he threaded, he walked past the tourist and locals and ran into an alley way. Again, he made sure he wasn't seen and then he stretched up and transformed into his Faunus self. He took out his beanie and wore it again to cover the ears. He adjusted it for a moment before he checked his pockets and his holsters to ensure everything was in order before he went on his way.

The Vytal Festival was coming up, preparations were being made. A large banner was displayed on the streets. "Welcome to Vale" it said as the kingdom greeted the different students and tourists from the other kingdoms. Devin admired it for a bit before his attention was caught by something else. A broken down shop at the end of the block was surrounded by authorities and curious onlookers. He squeezed his way out of the incoming crowd as he walked up to the area. The scene drew more and more people and the closer he got, the harder it was to force himself in.

And then once he got near, the first face he saw was a brown-haired detective ready to ask him a question. But he asked first, "Would you happen to know where the 'Crow Bar' is?"  
It caught the detective off guard and all he could say was, "Uh, you just passed it. Just turn back and walk up to the end, then take a left once you reached it. You should see a place with a sign with the obvious crowbars on it."  
"Thanks, much appreciated," he said as he waved goodbye and went on his way. Again, he had to pass through the coming crowd.

After a short walk and a left, he reached the Crow Bar. A wide open bar with little customers except for a blonde woman in a white blouse and purple cape sitting by a table on the left side of the bar and a white-haired middle-aged man with dark shaded spectacles and a black suit over a buttoned vest and green shirt. He recognized who he had to talk to and walked in to the black-suited man's table. "May I?" he asked politely.  
"You may," Ozpin took a sip of his coffee as Devin sat across him. "Want anything to drink?" he offered.  
"No, thanks, just an ashtray," he requested as Ozpin called the bartender for one. Devin reached into his coat and pulled out a match box and a pack of cigarettes and took one. "May I?" he requested again and Ozpin agreed. He lit it up just as the bartender came back with the ashtray.  
"So, you're Devin Jackal?" Ozpin wanted honesty.  
"Yes, sir, that's me," he said. "Just call me Devin."  
"Alright," he agreed with another sip of coffee while Devin just took another puff at his cigarette. "I was told, you're from the famous Jackal Clan of assassins based in Menagerie, am I correct?" Devin didn't answer and just laid back and put his arm across the top of the seat as his eyes canvassed the area like an agitated guard dog. "Don't worry," Ozpin assured him but he gave him a glare as he smoked, "No cameras in the area, not even outside. And the people in here, you can trust them with anything, even this. I've heard of your situation," his voice was heavy with sympathy as Devin took his cigarette and placed it on the ashtray.  
"Yeah, I am. A long time ago," he replied  
"Were you also an assassin among them?" Ozpin followed.  
"I was. But I didn't like where the direction they were going and when they pledged allegiance to the White Fang to do its bidding, that's when I made like a tree and leaved," his answer was the honesty Ozpin looked for him.  
"And does your family know that?"  
Devin fell silent for a moment, and then he tilted his back and took a deep breath. "No, they all think I'm dead. Died off in somewhere, they won't be looking for me."  
"And why'd you want them to think that?" Ozpin took another sip.  
Devin took a puff as he collected his words and they were like iron, "I'm not gonna lie, I did things in my past that I'm not proud of and I didn't want to do any more. But wanting out is going to get me killed anyway-"  
"And fighting your way through them meant taking a few loved ones down with you."  
"Yeah," he said softly as he patted the cigarette ash onto the tray, "As much as I don't like what they've become, I still remember what they were when we were young."

The bar fell silent for a moment, it was Ozpin's turn to collect his words and continue the talk. "Tell me," his began, his voice showed more interest, "I know that Jackals and Branwens were rivals—"  
"You want to know if I would have a problem working with your man, Qrow?" Devin interrupted and Ozpin just smiled at him. "I won't don't worry," he assured him with his own smile before he took finished smoking his cigarette.  
"I meant what was the difference between the two?" said Ozpin as he sat up straight and ordered another cup.  
"Oh," he realized, "well, the Branwens, as to what I know, you can clarify it with your acquaintance later; were self-centered treasure-hunters. Sure the treasure was for their family but each member came first before the family. It kind of explains Qrow's sister, you know, Raven?"  
"I do."  
"The Jackals however, did everything for the family. Everything for the pack as we say, we hunt and we provided. Each member was a purpose for the other to survive and thrive. And we weren't just guns-for-hire either, our hunting used to mean something. Used to be that we eliminated those who threatened the peace in Menagerie, then my father became patriarch and soon we dived down a road of murder sprees and assassinations for fun. And joining the White Fang, well, that was the icing on the cake."  
"And did you also dealt with relics just as Branwens did?" he asked just as the second cup arrived.  
"No, no, no," he disagreed with respect to the headmaster. "See, as the Branwens dabbled with relics and idols, we were in something else," he took another cigarette and put it in his mouth.  
"What did the Jackals dabble with?" Ozpin asked as he drank from his cup.  
"We dabbled in gods."

Storm clouds brewed behind them, just over the calm sea. Winds blew hard into the bar and the bartender had to close down the doors. "Everything for the pack and god's boon was worth more to us than relics and magic," said Devin.  
"You prayed to a lot of gods, Devin?" Ozpin asked.  
Devin smirked and blew a small smoke cloud to his side. "I know a lot of gods, sir. All of them didn't give boons for free and most of them would ask more in return," his voice was in distress.  
"Seems like you didn't want to know a lot of gods," Ozpin noticed. The bartender turned on the heater as strong rain poured outside and piercing cold went in.  
Devin leaned closer and started to have second thoughts. "May I ask, is this part of the interview?" he wondered, "I mean I understand the family but the gods' part. Is it?"  
"Yes, it indeed is," Ozpin returned the smirk as he sipped his coffee.  
"Okay," Devin replied followed by a long sigh. "Well, like I said earlier, the clan and the White Fang thought I was dead. But pulling it off wasn't easy, I had to ask favor from a god. Two gods in fact."  
"Sounds like you're in debt," Ozpin told him.  
"I was. I needed their help to die for the clan and White Fang's eyes and both of them wanted my soul in return. So I sold my soul to both of them and which meant they'll war over it, which they won't because—"  
"Because it means their soldiers would be their followers," Ozpin completed his thought.  
"Yep, gods don't really wanna lose their own faithful. So they released me from my debt, thought I wasn't worth the trouble but they vowed revenge though. If it helps them sleep at night," he took one long puff at the cigarette.

Ozpin was displeased with the sly deception yet amused by the story. He sipped his coffee then faced the woman at counter, "He sounds like a delight doesn't he, Glynda?"  
Glynda Goodwitch replied with a scoff, "Unfortunately, delight isn't what we're looking for."  
"Right you are, Ms. Goodwitch but I believe Mr. Jackal here is the one we need right now," said Ozpin.  
Glynda responded with a sincerely concerned look, "Sir, with all due respect, are you sure a lying, deceptive, ex-assassin is what we need?" she raised her voice at him.  
"What's a better informant than a dead man?" Devin laid back again and blew smoke over his head.

It left Glynda uncertain and she looked at Ozpin for a refusal but he had other things in mind, like a test. "There were several attacks on Dust shops here in Vale, what are your insights on this?"  
"You mean like the one up the street?" he said before he smoked again. "Sounds like an arms race. Someone's starting a war"  
"Would you have any idea on who?" Glynda followed.  
Devin paid attention and faced the two of them. "Judging from the sloppy break in at the Dust store round the corner, I'd say they were amateurs but you said there several, right?"  
"Indeed there were," said Ozpin.  
"Hmm," Devin put down his cigarette and pondered for a moment, "There was that small-time thief."  
"Who would that be?" Glynda was hungry for information.  
"Emerald's her first, don't know her last, went off grid a few years ago. Last I heard she was seen talking with some girl with black hair and a red dress," he satisfied their curiosity and passed their test.

Glynda and Ozpin looked at each other and knew they had the right one. "The girl in the red dress, she's the one I fought against a few months back when the first store was robbed," said Glynda. "It means this Emerald is involved with her."  
"Possibly," replied Ozpin before he turned back to Devin. "What else do you know about Emerald?"  
"Green hair. Small and agile, her semblance is makes you hallucinate. See things she wants you to see. That's what gave her the thief title," answered Devin.  
"Thank you for your time," he said then he stood up and so did Glynda. "We have to make preparations, debrief our agents with this new intel."  
"Again, thank you," Glynda said once more.  
"Not a problem, does this mean I'm in?" Devin asked.  
Glynda looked at Ozpin and he nodded at her, then she reached in her pocket and took out a piece of paper. "Yes, you are," she handed the paper to Devin who opened it immediately. "That's the address you'll be staying at, the rifle you asked to be delivered is also there in a black suitcase."  
"Thanks," said Devin as he puts the paper in his pocket. "Hope the rifle wasn't too much of a problem."  
"Not at all, said Ozpin, "Ironwood didn't mind at all."  
"That's good, that's good," agreed Devin.  
"For now, you'll be task in watching over the kingdom and the upcoming Vytal Festival," instructed Glynda.  
"I see Vale's heading this year's festival. Can't wait for it," he answered with a smile.  
"That's all for now," Ozpin bid him goodbye as he and Glynda walked out of the bar.

Devin stayed and took out another cigarette, "Bartender, gin and tonic please?" he requested.

The rain poured like crashing waves, thunder echoed throughout the city. Ozpin brought out his umbrella which he shared with Glynda as they have a few final words, "Do you trust him?" she asked him to know if he was as skeptical as she is.  
He paused for a moment, "I believe he has a good heart but it's heavy and he doesn't seem to know how to carry it."  
"But do you think he'd be a trustworthy informant?"  
"Yes, yes I do."


	3. The People we haven't lost yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the ruins of Beacon, a small gathering is held. Glynda Goodwitch, Qrow Branwen, and Winter Schnee have been summoned by a common acquaintance

Eight months ago in the ruins of the Beacon Academy…..

There is an echo heard only underneath ruins. It's a symphony that plays across the eons, written by men who carved their legacies in the walls of time. They do not start slow. They erupt heavily before the watchful eyes of history, like the voices of seven thunders roaring in the skies. And yet pride and marvel are alone in the melancholic debris of Beacon academy. There was also fear, and horror, and chaos. The rampaging Grimm could still be felt between its broken walls. Their hate and fury still engraved upon the tomb now known as Beacon. A towering reminder of the lost and damned during that day, a scar in the face of Vale.

But tonight, it falls silent, as all cemeteries should. There is still an echo howling in the wind. Qrow Branwen has heard it, has been listing to it for the past few hours. It has not gotten neither louder nor quieter, it's just—there. The echo playing around crumbled walls and scattered debris. Seething through the crevices, slipping in and out of corners, creeping through stone and rubble, making itself known as if he doesn't hear it in his bed every night, keeping him awake most days. He stands by the courtyard, near the dried up fountain where his niece greeted him with a tackle when he first returned here. He takes a sit by its edges and sees how the sunset reflected on her smile. It reminded him of her mother, someone she treasured close like a sister. Suddenly, he finds himself reminiscing of old glories and taken names. Team STRQ was one of them, a cocktail mix of adventure and mishaps that he'd indulge on sooner than later. But as he remembered the good, so came in the worst. The divides among the members, promises as brittle as glass, and above all, losing a friend. And in that moment, he couldn't bear it any longer. He reaches behind him, feels the leather casing of the small flask attached to his belt and grabs like a swooping eagle and opens the cap. He could feel the cold whiskey stirring up inside, he could already taste its warm bitter kiss down his throat and he took no time before his lips opened up to it like a warm welcome. He savored every last drop, the sip felt like an eternity and truly was as warm and bitter as he imagined but more importantly, it was numbing, a sweet numbing of his mind, just to stop it from wandering again to places unwanted. Just to stop remembering the blood running down her pale white skin, her empty silver eyes, and that damned jackal kid-.

"Qrow!" a voice calls from behind, a commanding tone from another long time friend. He opens his eyes and fumbles about trying to close the flask. The courtyard was silent again, emptied of his screaming memories, the echo was still there, it will always be there. But from afar, he hears footsteps. Light ones, the kind that heels make and when he looks up with a better focus, he sees Glynda Goodwitch approaching from the shadows of the "Closed-off" barbed-wired fences. She wasn't particularly angry nor was she irritated by him. Quite frankly, she wasn't particularly anything at all as she walked up to him with her normal headmistress face. She was wearing a purple sweater over her white button-up blouse and pencil skirt. Her hand was held firmly in her hand, ready to act if need be. "Are you drinking before the mission?" she questions him with the harshness of a prison warden, something he's used to.  
"Uh, no, no. I'm just—" he mishandles himself trying to hide the flask behind his back quickly. The alcohol was still fresh on his lower lip and he knew he couldn't stop her from noticing, "just passing time." He turns around and marvels upon the fallen Beacon, how it glistens like the calm seas under the shy moonlight even as a ruin amazes him either way. "Lots of memories in this place, shame to see it like this," he says with a liberating breath of air.  
Glynda joins and stands beside him with arms crossed and the Riding crop held between her fingers as she watches with the same nostalgic thoughts he has, "I know, I still remember where we held the initiation last year." The Emerald forest was as clear as day in her mind and bright as uncut emeralds raw from the mines. She remembered how each student proved themselves, each unique style of fighting, and a different heart shown by each innocent soul.  
"Yeah, that was my nieces' first day of school. Wish I was there to see them," he replies humbly.  
"I wish I could still see more first days of school," she says solemnly and Qrow blindly nods to agree. But then she turns to face him with the same blank expression she had when she saw Qrow guzzling down the flask like lemonade.

"But that wasn't why you were drinking, was it?" she asks and he felt like he just lost an interrogation as the truth weakly crawled up his throat and out of his tongue.  
"No, no it isn't," his hand itches to reach for the flask but his honesty forces him to stay sober.  
"Is it because of the boy?" she asks again and it merits short sigh of admission from the proud scythe-wielder.  
"Yes, it is. You wouldn't understand, Glynda," he looks away as the walls encroach around him, comfy and protective.  
"Then help me understand, Qrow," she persists as she tries to look into those stubborn eyes and see the pain beyond them.  
"I don't know how, nor can I prove it, but he was there when Summer died," a strong air of certainty amassed around him as he said those words. "His eyes, those were the same eyes that ran away when we first discovered the body," his hands begin to shake at his sides as he clenches them into fists. He tried hard to keep the tears from flowing but they leaked out like raindrops through the ceiling cracks. He lifted his right harm from the agony and Glynda caught it to stop him from hurting any further. She gave him a few pats on the back and pushed him to sit by the fountain rest again. Her soft palm grazed his hair, calming the crow lost from its flock.

"I just can't find the strength in me to trust him, Glynda" he says weakly as she tries to soothe the wound within him. Then she sits beside him, the damp rim was cold beneath her pencil skirt but she doesn't mind when a friend is in need.  
"I know, Qrow. You don't have to," she says sincerely, drawing his grieving attention to her and earning her a smile.  
He sniffs the cry away and wipes the tears clean from his eyes, it's always easier to know that someone is on your side, "How about you? Do you trust him?"  
Glynda lets out a sigh and turns her face away, knowing that her next words won't be as soothing as music to her friend, "I trust in Ozpin's decision. If he trusts him then he must see something in him that we don't."  
"Fair enough," the old crow replied acknowledging that that's the best he's going to get from her. But also accepting the fact that she is right to trust in Oz' plan. If they are to get anywhere, it'll be through the late headmaster's decision.

"Where is he anyway?" she asks, looking around the courtyard barely touched by the shy moonlight and she finds nothing but a symphony of silence playing all over the dusty debris.  
"You actually think I'd know?" Qrow smirks at her, teasing lightly. She doesn't take it well and gives him a discerning frown as she stands on the fountain's rim, gazing over the horizon. Again, she finds nothing. Then Qrow wields his scythe that is still in its most basic transformation and drives it down beside him, using it to push himself up, "Frankly, if it wasn't for you, I'd be passed out drunk right now."  
"Now's not the time for jokes, Qrow," she snaps at him and he just rolls his eyes and looks behind but something emerges from the distant sky and it catches his attention like a moth under the bug-zapper's light.

"But is it the time for that?" he says with a face full of confusion as him and Glynda stare blankly into the Atlesian ship approaching them. It was a small private ship with cockpit windshields tinted black and a dual-rotor system on both of its wings but it had its blinding headlights on and focused on the two huntsmen, making them shield their eyes from its unnerving glare. "Well, there goes subtlety" says Qrow as he turns his back from the chopper.  
"What the hell is this?" Glynda screams at him as if expecting an answer but she doesn't even get a shrug because he had an idea of who it was.  
"There's only one person I know who owns something like that," he begins explaining but then the ship's engine whirls down and the lights turn off as it starts to descend. It turns sideways and lands on an empty space in front of them. The engine subsides and then the door opens on its side, unfolding a long gray platform and out of it emerges Winter Schnee, Rapier sheathed by her side but there was impatience and anger in her expression as she waltzed over to them with clenched fists and words about to erupt.

"Where is he?" she demands without context, just an assumption of an answer. But vague questions don't move the interrogation forward and she earns nothing from throwing it haphazardly at them.  
Glynda and Qrow looked at each other as the Schnee stood before them nearly hyperventilating from rage as she waited for a response.  
"I'm guessing he invited you too, huh?" says Qrow with a raised brow.  
"He gave me a call a couple of days ago, told me to come or he'd release some incriminating photos to General Ironwood," she replied, almost gasping for air as the thought made her shiver.  
"What kind of incriminating photos?" Glynda asks with a more raised and confused eyebrow.  
"I don't know," Winter declared, panicking in her mind but containing it with a surplus of talking, "that's why I'm here. It's keeping me awake at night." She reaches for her rapier and draws it swiftly with a hand shaking from rage. Then she looks up to the night, it's gleaming stars look back and she screams with the ice-cold fury of hell, "WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?"  
"Calm down, Winter," Glynda pleaded and paired it with a reluctant pat on her shoulder.  
"For all you know, he's just screwing with you," Qrow gave her a shrug but she didn't pay them any heed.  
"No! I've worked too hard to be where I am and I'm not letting some scrawny half-dog tear me down!" she argued with a vengeance directly in front of Qrow's face.

"Yeah, calm down" a voice replies from the shadows of the ruins. It made three heads turn and two more weapons drawn by wary huntsmen ready to cut the first thing they see. Behind the crushed benches on a narrow cobblestone walkway covered in rubble was a small thin jackal with coal black fur and deep amber eyes approaching them. "Don't wanna break your noggin' over someone like me," Devin said as he transformed into his faunus form wearing formal slacks, a dark long-sleeved shirt with its sleeves folded up to his elbow and chest gun holster strapped around it, and a wide grin on his face to top it all off.  
"There you go," said Qrow gesturing with his hands towards Devin as if delivering him to Winter. She just gave him a quick glare and then rushed to the jackal's side, rapier drawn.  
"What do you want, Jackal?" she asks, just wanting to be done here as quickly as possible.  
"Have to make delivery to Atlas, I need a ride," he answers and is met with Winter's brief look back at her ship. As he glances back at him, he pulls out an envelope tucked in behind his belt and gives her a short taunt. But she gnashed her teeth and immediately swiped at it but he pulled back with a flick of the wrist, just provoking the beast.  
"Fine," she finally agreed, trying to calm her hands down to her side. "Where's the package?"

"Over there," he points behind him, over to the enormous inverted cone-shaped coliseum lying sideways a couple hundred yards past the towering school of Beacon. He pointed to Amity coliseum.  
"There?" Glynda exclaimed from behind, as if she spoke for the rest of them who were also staring speechless into the horizon. "There's nothing there but Grimm around every corner."  
"As much as I love disagreeing with you, Jacky, she's right. The place is crawling with them," Qrow backed her up with a stern resolve. His hatred for him was still there but subsided temporarily to make way for reason.  
"What would someone from Atlas want in there?" asked Winter who was reconsidering her choices.  
"It's not a 'what'," Devin rebutted her, "it's a 'who'." He was met with judging eyes looking at a madman outside their circle of trust. And his call for action here does not help their image of him.

Except for Qrow, he knew who Devin was pointing at. He had the same mindset with everyone else but he may not understand the little jackal's reasons but he understood his intentions. And every inch of his body was pulling him away from this night, pulling back in bed with his flask. But there was something keeping him in place, nailing his feet to the ground and forcing him to ask further, why and how, and it was name. "Penny Polendina" her name tasted of sour iron, her memory was a brand seared on his brain. But he said it with a feeling of refreshing air beneath his wings. A soaring freedom he has enjoyed in a long time. Because he realized now that this was not an order from Ozpin to Devin, this was a show of the little jackal trying.  
"The robot girl?" realized Winter, she remembered little of her but everything she could recall told her it was a waste of time if not a suicide mission. "Are you serious?" she fires back at Devin, hoping he too would have an ear for reason. "Look at that place, she's probably scrap metal by now!" but her words barely dented the immovable jackal.  
"I hate to tickle your knickers the wrong way but surprisingly, she's not," he says as takes something out from his pocket, a pink metallic bow and shows it to them with a giddy smile on his face. "I tried last week before they closed it off, this was the only thing I could get out."She hands it to Winter to give her a closer look at the small bow. She held the cold iron piece in her hands and realized that he was right, there was a chance and they have to take it. For the first time, he and she saw eye to eye. "With everythin' that's been goin' on, we need allies. And though Vale is about to throw away its alliance with Atlas, at least we could keep her father on our side."  
"Huh, never took you for someone with initiative," he lets a smile slip out from under his distant perspective of him. Something that Glynda and Devin saw but more importantly, it was something he himself realized. It was always a back and forth battle within him for what happened with Summer. But now he's thinking that perhaps Glynda was right to trust in Ozpin's decision. And though the time for healing was still far, this was a massive step from the jackal. "Alright, that's good work, kid. What's the plan then?"

"Right," Devin cracks a smile and reaches into his pocket for his scroll. He opens some programs from it and then lays it down on the ground in front of them and then a hologram of a ruined Amity Coliseum emerges from it. They could see the rubble by the yard in front of it, the dust crystal base was shattered to pieces, the walls by the archways caved in, a large side of the rims of the crystal dome roof was crushed when the coliseum fell, destroying the roundest part of its cone shape and kept it in place. Then he kneels down the others kneel down after him, "so most of her pieces are here, where the arena should be," his finger circles the midsection of the coliseum. "Getting there on foot shouldn't be a problem, been scouring the area all day and I found an underground tunnel the stagehands used to take in order to operate the Magnetic Reflector platform that kept the coliseum floating in place."  
"That's underneath the ground floor of Beacon," exclaimed Glynda as she was eyed by the others, "I still have access to it."  
"Good," Devin nods in approval, Winter remains attentive while Qrow gives his own smile of support to his friend. "Once we reach the platform, it'll be crawling with Grimm, we will indefinitely draw attention," then he points to the broken dust crystal on the bottom tip of the dome. "There's an opening here, it should take us one or two floors deep into the building. Glynda, I need you to close of that section immediately after we enter." She gives him a firm nod and he moves on. "Once we're inside, I'll activate my semblance which will put me in a trance state."  
"So you need us to bodyguard you while you look for Penny's remains," Qrow says squarely and he receives a silent shrug of honesty.  
"In my trance state, I'll be completely focused on looking for Penny's remains, so I trust you with my defense you drunken bird brain," he humors Qrow but every word out of his mouth is drenched in sincerity talking to the man whose hands he can already feel wrangling around his throat.  
But Qrow has a different idea and lets out his loudest scoff into the night, startling even Winter and Glynda but he himself did not care how they reacted. "Don't push your luck you chimney-throated mutt," he throws back at him but he wasn't done yet, "Or else we'll be collecting two sets of quartered people tonight," and they both laugh while Winter frowns down on them and buries he face in her hands but Glynda lets out a small giggle unheard of by the two. The sight of Qrow trying to stay in touch with a boy is warm and sweet portrait to behold.  
Then Devin tones down a little, gasping for air as he begins to stop laughing, "But it's not just Grimm," the smile on his face ends and he glances at Glynda again, "My semblance will lead me to easier ways which might mean outside and around the area, I need you to open up pathways for us inside the coliseum, make sure we go through and not around."  
"Affirmative," she responds with great conviction. Her fingers grasp her crop rigidly, awaiting the chance to be casted.  
"Right," he sternly answers then looks at Winter, "Your ship has that homing feature, yeah?" he asks just to confirm.  
"Yeah, the signal range isn't that far though, so we have to be in a safe and closer distance to call it," she replies but it wasn't taken as well as Devin hoped. He takes a deep breath and then puffs up his cheeks as he exhales with a blow.  
"That'll have to do, we'll have to climb on top of the coliseum after we collect all the parts, then we'll hold that position until the ship arrives." He takes back his scroll and they all stand up to face the ruins of Beacon once more, "I'll take the lead, I'll be in my jackal form once we enter the tunnel and scout ahead for any Grimm, I'll give you lot a bark once I sniff them out." He puts the scroll back into his pocket and draws the pistol from his holster. "One last thing," he faces them once more with a rigid look on his face, "we have to do this fast, my semblance uses a ton of aura and if it takes too long, I'll past out and Qrow will have to carry an extra weight around."

"Well then," Qrow erupts from behind with confident smirk and his great sword in his hand, bursting into a cold Scythe, "lead the way, little jackal."


	4. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside the dark dead halls of Beacon, truths are revealed and allegiances are questioned.

In the dark abandoned halls of Beacon academy, a looming echo still resonated through debris and rubble. The building's structure, in itself, still held together but its interior was left decimated by rampaging Grimm. Within collapsed floors and cracked walls, a little black jackal crawls through narrow crevices as it sniffs out traces of Grimm that remain plastered all over the walls. Its ears perk up but he doesn't listen to the melancholy halls of Beacon. He's just waiting, waiting for something to break the deafening silence, waiting for that one unknown footstep to approach, waiting for them.

"Is it clear, yet?!" Qrow shouts irresponsibly at Devin. The little jackal suddenly flees from the hall and backs himself into the barricade of debris, whimpering with his tail between his legs and his ears fold from the fear rushing inside him.  
"Are you crazy?" Winter scolds Qrow, her face is barely visible under the faint torchlight but her anger is seeping through its flames as she glares at Qrow, waiting for him to look her way. "Do you want every creature of Grimm in a ten-mile radius to come running to us when we can't even see more than ten feet in front of us?"  
"What?" he feigns ignorance, always does with her. "I wanted to see if it was safe now." She can only imagine his smug face in those dark halls. Then they hear clattering of metal and small debris crumbling in the distance. A sharp thud bangs in front of them, Devin's head meets the hard steel shelves and he struggles up on his feet as he changes into human form. "Frigging—" he clutches his head to soothe the aching, it works out poorly. "Sod off, ya wanker" he says from the darkness and faces the three while scratching the pain away from his head.  
"Well?" Qrow shrugs at him, he leans forward and asks again, "Are we clear?" Glynda rolls her eyes and sighs at him, he doesn't hear.  
Devin looks back, the pitch black corridor of fallen walls and rubble is unwelcoming but he's used to being unwelcomed, "Should be for another hundred feet, or at least until we reach the stairwell." He holds the strap of the rifle hanging on his shoulders tightly as he walks over collapsed columns and scattered chairs. "I'll check again in a few. You'll need to lift these things away, though." He softly taps the steel shelf in front him just Glynda can hear.  
"Let me," Glynda walks past Qrow with a firm grip on her crop stick. She boldly, out of the light then plants her feet in front of the barricade. She couldn't see it but she felt its presence blocking the bath. Devin backs off as she points her crop stick in front. And in an instant, the weight of steel channels through her arms and she grasps the immovable object with her semblance. Its crushing weight was a nuisance at first, especially considering that she was out of practice. She waves her arms in a smooth grace and aura flows through her finger tips. The shelf and rubble levitate off the ground, pieces of debris fall off them like sand sifting through one's hands. Slowly and cautiously she carries them away from the corridor and puts them behind the corners. It was always easy for her to repair and clean up after Beacon but tonight she felt each broken piece she will never fix again in her hands. For the first time, she felt the rubble grow heavier in her grasp and her hands shook as she finally laid the blockade out of the hall.

A fatigued Glynda panted as she marveled at her work. Though it was dark, a large enough opening presented itself before them and she smiled at her work.

Qrow walks first, a proud smile on his face and then a pat on her back as he passes by. "Nice work," he gives the first round of compliments. Winter follows with the light and Glynda and her walk together in the narrow corridor.  
"We've a long way ahead of us," Devin gladly moves forward in the somber halls of Beacon. He treads cautiously but keeps his lead far from them, at least several feet in front but Glynda sees him take the lead and she hastens her pace. Though it was dim, she recognized the decors defaced from the walls, the shattered glass of old cases where awards were displayed. Memories in the remnants of her once beloved academy. So she matched his speed and strutted beside him with her high heels clicking in every step. "Pleasure to be by your side, madam," Devin was taught to be courteous to his superiors, the concept always was nailed to his temple. Yet, he means to also ask what is her hurry striding by his side. But a quick glance of her eyes and the brief edge of a smile on her cheek pardoned him not to ask.  
"I know every nook and cranny of this school like the back of my hand," she raises her chin high as she side-eyes him, confidence brimming in her strut. He raised a brow in protest. In his mind, her presence towering beside him would alert nearby Grimm, not to mention her heels tapped on the cold ground like a lamb traveling through pavement. But before he could ask, she spoke again and with great certainty, "I can help guide you to the tunnels. Shouldn't be long," she lets it sink into him. Luckily, he was an easy sea to sink into and he just slightly puffed his lips and nodded lightly to himself in agreement. And with that she was satisfied, facing him one last time and telling him, "Oh, and the pleasure's all mine." He smiles and takes a short lead, she follows behind and he glances at her from time to time to ask the way.

Qrow strode past Winter's torchlight but when she noticed that his careless humor earlier has died down to an aimless crouch-walk with a blank glare on his face. She catches up to him, a few short steps and then she levels her eyes to his, but then he utters the first word and catches her mid-thought, "You seem awfully calm for someone who was about to tear a 'half-dog's' head off his shoulders," he says in his cool damp breath. He straightens his back and gives her quick glances, the modest torchlight shows little of Winter's stunned face. "I thought you'd be at his throat by now. Surprising how easy you turned once he asked you earlier."  
"Hmph" she snubbed him. She had a disgusted look on her face as her footsteps grew heavier and quicker. Her brow furls beside the soft ember and it doesn't go unnoticed.  
"You believe him, don't you?" he looks at her with growing concern. He knows very little of her relationship with him but is trying not to pry.  
"I believe he'll honor his word with what little honor he has running through those mongrel veins of his," her words were the blizzards of winter's advance. Her voice was the thunder speaking in seven tongues seething with fury. "If not, then I'll have his head with me in my ship by sunrise."  
"There's the Winter I know and don't love," Qrow humors her and then gives her a tiny shove on the shoulder and a relaxed grin. Then it fades as fast as it appeared, "What's your beef with him anyway? What did he do to you?" he inquires cautiously.  
"Pffff" a tendril of her snow white hair brushes softly upon her face, she blows it away with a swift puff and a snap of her head, tossing the stray strand back in line. "A few years ago, my father employed his services into the Schnee Dust Company during the rise of White Fang violence." Regret was sour in her mouth. With every word she spoke, it felt like spitting out poison from a wound, "He was a mercenary hired to guard dust cargo across realms." Then her brows unfurl and her voice softens their tense into laments, "But guarding precious cargo meant guarding precious secrets. And I'm sure he got his hands on information too sensitive that it will be catastrophe for me and my family." She speaks as if condemning a convict to their last moments behind the hangman's noose.  
"Winter, knowing you, you have clean slate. So sparkly that I could use your portfolio as a mirror," he gives her a confused look but then he pats her on the back and it caught her off guard. "I never knew you were under Jacques' payroll."  
"That's the thing!" she suddenly turns pale from anxiety. Her words bear defensive shield walls around them, "I'm not but the photos that he has would put me in the hot seat either way."  
"How do you know?"  
"I just know," she swings the torch as she faces him and almost hits his hair bangs with its fire. She didn't even notice it and just continued, "Every time I saw him- every time he saw me, I was at the wrong places at the right time." Then she looks forward again, her mind wanders and her eyes search for thoughts to wallow on as she tries her hardest to drown out the memories. "Collapsed dust mines, tired out workers, every time I was set to visit one of father's ventures. Every time, he was there."  
Qrow stops in his tracks, empathy whispers its solemn curiosity into his ears. He looks at her with sincere worry, a familiar echo resonates behind him, "You thought he was tracking you."  
Winter lays back, almost collapsing to the dusty wall beside her. Thoughts grow heavy in her head, "I don't just think, I know," she says with fearful certainty.  
"Winter, Oz and I have been using him for the two years now. Kid's done nothing but gather intel from the enemy," he tries to assure her some security.  
"You don't understand, this was before Ozpin employed him," she mutters with cold hatred. "That kid has seen his fair share in violence."  
"Even so, he was part of Clan Jackal, what could they do with that kind of information. They're not really your neighborhood activists, you know."  
"Qrow," Winter's eyes widen, her hands shake in terror as she realized his naivety.

"Clan Jackal is part of the White Fang," the names part from her lips and echo through Qrow's ears, sending a chill of betrayal down his spine. "They were the ones spearheading attacks on the royal families of Atlas. And worse," if she had no proof to show, she would not have said it. But she did and it felt entrapping, "they've found Jackal bodies among the dead in Beacon. Hunters from their clan in White Fang clothing," Qrow stared at her, shaking as if he has seen a ghost. She stares back, disbelief is a hard one to bargain with yet she has to try, "You never knew?"

Glynda Goodwitch strode down old walls. The stairwell was clear of Grimm just as Devin scouted earlier and yet every floor beyond that was safe from corruption as the pair went lower and lower. As usual, Devin would occasionally shift to jackal form and search ahead, sniffing out nearby enemies. It was only a precaution, one they needed to take in order to complete the mission. She lit the way down with her crop stick and it was only then that she noticed that they were alone. "Wait, where's Winter and Qrow?" she asks looking back.  
"Lagging behind it seems, huh. I have an idea," he draws his pistol and transforms it into a dagger then he smashes the concrete walls at first then begins carving into them. "I saw some wooden splinters lying around earlier, hand me some will you?" he points downstairs behind Glynda. She gives him a confused and reluctant look. The way down seems like a hungering abyss waiting to swallow victims whole. She points her crop stick's light questioningly but then she sees the splinters he mentioned, shattered tables and broken chairs littered the lower halls as if poured down the stairwell like water on glass.  
"How'd you know?" she turns around to ask him as he deepens the hole he made in the softened walls.  
Then he stops after a third one and takes his beanie off his head and faces her with the pointed jackal ears, "Faunus remember?" he slyly answers while wiggling his ears for emphasis. "We have night vision, and it's pretty strong in my clan." He puts back the beanie and continues his work, more holes are aligned up the stairwell.

With his clear explanation, Glynda is off on her way, illuminating the path as she goes down. She picks up the first thing she sees by her feet, a crushed table drawer dragged to the bottom. The wide plank was slightly damp from mild waters, she carries it upstairs and hands it to Devin who examines it with a forced look in his eyes, "They're too wet, won't last long," he sticks it into the wall and then unfolds his sleeves and rips off a small piece of cloth. He raps it around the thin wood, making as much rounds around the tip as he can, thickening it into a poorly crafted torch. Then he reaches for his back pocket and takes out his Zippo lighter and lights the makeshift sconce anew. It was dim yet it created a faint light that burned bright up to the stairwell's entrance.  
"Hopefully, they'll see that," says Glynda while watching Devin carve another hole in the wall. He struggles as the concrete isn't damp enough for the knife's hilt to crack through. She draws her crop stick and stands back, "Let me," she offers with a smile on her face. Devin steps back and lets her have a turn. A small invisible field was seen around the tip of her crop stick, it swayed and danced like the autumn winds. And then the wall begins to crumble, small pieces of concrete fell down from its surface and perfectly circular hole appeared.

Glynda lays back, admiring her handiwork and then she looks back at Devin with one hand on her hip and a smug grin on her face. "That should do it."  
Devin stands back wide-eyed in awe. The words claw for breath out of his mouth, "I guess we'll swap." He runs down the stairs and picks up floorboards, broken desks, or any other pieces of wood lying around. He collects about a handful before he proceeds back to Glynda who already made three more. He breaks the wood in half on his knees and puts the thin pieces into the holes. Again, he rips a little bit of his sleeves' cloth and wraps it around them and then lights them on fire. The same faint light emits from the makeshift sconces but it helps them light the way back with the hopes that Qrow and Winter will follow.

"So, how far still?" he asks while pulling out the last of his sleeves, almost opting to tear off from his shirt's front.  
"Should be on the next floor," she digs out a handful of concrete and lets Devin place another piece of wood. "Fortunately, none of the sconces have burned out yet."  
"Good, hopefully those two will pick up the pace," he untucks his shirt and tears cloth from the helm. Glynda opens up two more holes but Devin's running out of shirt.  
"Here," she takes off her tiny purple cloak and splits it in half. She hands the first to Devin who wraps it around another stick of wood and lights it. Then she lets out a relieved smile, she doesn't know this little jackal. At first she also doubted Ozpin's decision, letting an outsider work for their circle but seeing him now in action, putting together this mission truly impresses her even by just a little. "Noble thing you're doing here, Devin," she whispers softly to him as she digs out one last hole.  
"That so?" stick in hand, he plants another one and lights it into a vivid ember.  
"It is, a thoughtful initiative from you if I may say kindly," she steps back and lets him plant the next one. "That should be the last one," she says as she enters the next floor and signals him to come, "The entranceway should be here," she nudges her head for him to follow and they enter into a dark hallway illuminated again by Glynda's crop stick.  
Devin dusts of his hands and walks behind her, "Thank you, I don't know who your enemy is, I've never heard of them in any of our tales but every ally we can get counts."

Glynda and Devin entered the floor through wooden doors that were still more or less in good condition. A few scratch marks were on them but they were still fine. They traversed through a narrow corridor with no rooms, only a shorter tunnel leading to the main one. Still there were no lights or torches around, so Devin crafted one last makeshift sconce and Glynda dug the needed hole for it. This one burned brighter than the rest and sent the two of them warmth. "Where will you be off to next?" she asks him sincerely.  
"Heading to Mistral, tracking the clan. Adam's return here means they'll act in return, they'll be making their move soon," his face is stern, the thought of family lingers with him longer than he intends yet he can't control. He can only drown it out, "But first I have to keep tab on the girls, Ozpin told me to before Beacon fell." His mood lightens up as did hers.  
"Team RWBY?" she says with a sliver of curiosity and then an eyebrow raised in epiphany. "And I suppose Ozpin told you to ask me for help, didn't he?" she looks at him half-knowing the truth.  
"I need their records, I'm told you'd have some copies at home."  
"I don't think that's something I can give away freely, even to you," she curiously declines.  
"Oh, come on Glynda," he groans, "I need help putting their faces into mind."  
"Are you telling me a tracker doesn't know what the person he's tracking looks like?" she sneers at him.  
"Well, I've only just begun my research. I know Blake but Ozpin only gave me aliases to work with. I know the Silver-eyed warrior and Heir of Atlas but I keep forgetting the Heart of Patch." He complains but Glynda sees something else through the ruse.  
"That'd Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose's sister," she answers and sees his head lighten up in a eureka moment. Then he transforms his knife into a pistol and puts it back into his holster as he takes a pen from his pocket and begins writing the name on his hand. But Glynda peeks over his shoulders and sees him writing it down with glee. But personal intentions don't escape the sly headmistress, "Do you want her number too?" she teases him.  
Devin looks up straight, the question sounds awry in his mind. He faces her with a confused look and she just smiles back with a pompous expression of pestering torment. "It's not like that, this is strictly professional," he says in the most unprofessional defense he is able to muster.  
"Strange how you didn't know her when you already knew who Ms. Rose was?" she teases him a bit more, it was amusing, really.  
Then he turns around in a snap and continues walking further. Then Glynda lets out a brief giggle as Devin paces faster, cheeks flustering red from embarrassment. "I'm moving on with this convo."  
"Oh, cheer up, Devin. I was only teasing you a little," she follows after him as he ignores her still. "Besides, doubt you'd get a call even if you tried."  
Then his ears pop up from other his beanie, "What do you mean?" he asks him as he faces back.  
"She's bed-ridden right now, recovering from injuries," she replies sadly.  
"Why, what happened to her?" he asks and it catches Glynda by surprise.

Nevertheless, she gave an answer, "her arm was cut off by Adam Taurus in the battle."  
"Oh," his eyes avoided hers but his mind sought to refuge elsewhere, particularly far from this conversation. "Well anyway—" words escaped for a moment, a long enough moment. "With what you people stirred up, it looks like you would need allies," she agrees with him, thinking deeply of their current situation. "And—and, ahem" he clears his hoarse throat with great effort, "from what I remember seeing her last fight, she is a fierce fighter."  
"Well," Glynda's grin was both piercing and soul-breaking, "you're not wrong."  
Devin clears his throat again, "But Ozpin's particularly interested in the silver-eyed one, hmm" he ponders for a moment, tapping his chin lightly with his free hand and mutters to himself, "so, thinking of hitting two birds with one stone, since her sister did lose a limb, maybe if we can help her find another. That's not hard to arrange" he begins to hint and she begins to understand.  
And in that second another epiphany unfolds before her and she turns to him with a sly grin, "That's why we're here." She declares and meets his blank stare, "You want to make sure she gets an arm from Atlas."  
He pauses, tossing all words down the drain and carefully choosing new ones, "Well, that was the idea," his breath trailing off into the shadowy halls of Beacon. Fleeing from Glynda's sharp teasing smug.  
But before she could agree, disagree, or tease him some more, they finally stumbled upon the steel door leading to the tunnels. "Here we go," she says as she takes out her keys and unlocks the keyhole. One quick click and suddenly the rusty door creaks slowly open. "After you," she takes this chance one last time.

But before he could pass, they both heard running through the halls. Footsteps were light and yet rushing. There two sets and they were heading towards them, "That must be Qrow and Winter," she suggests.  
"Ah, right on time," he was happy that they could finally progress faster and he could sulk in shame far away from here. "I'll scout ahead, meet you three at the exit." He pulls beanie down, covering his head and he doesn't stop there as he starts to envelop his entire body with the beanie. He just kept pulling down until a black ball of fur was left and from emerged the black jackal. He scampers off into the darkness leaving Glynda alone to wait for the two. She didn't mind, she found it amusing to see through him.

But then Qrow stormed the hall with Winter, his scythe was drawn and dragged through the floor, cleaving the concrete asunder. The ground was trembling beneath his fury, lines cracked upon the walls as he blindly struck them in his rage. The echo ringed his ears like being shell-shocked from a gunshot. Glynda quaked where she stood, her long time friend was now walking down the narrow passage with a bloodlust in his steps.  
"Where is he?" he demands, his eyes were a burning supernova, consuming everything in its wake.  
"Qrow, what's going on?" she asks anxiously.  
"Devin," his voice drummed low like seven distant thunders whispering with one another, calling forth the storm. "Where is he?" Glynda stammered, words could not leave her lips when he stood like a fiery blade of hate and malice. She clutches her crop stick, her senses return for a moment and she chooses to stand.  
"Qrow, what is this about?" she faced him, calm and collected.  
He gnashes his teeth in impatience but before can bark at her, Winter steps in. "Glynda," Reason shows its face in these dark tunnels, its obscure radiance brings serenity into the atmosphere, "please listen. He isn't who you think he is"  
"What do you mean?" she replies but her stick is slowly aiming for Qrow and it doesn't slip his eye.  
"She worked with him a few years back, in the Dust Schnee company," he answers, the rage is subsiding steadily but his grip on his scythe grows firmer.  
"It's true," her eyes are pleading for Glynda to listen. She lends an ear for Winter to whisper to, "my father hired him to help protect our dust cargo." It catches Glynda's attention, it was something she has never heard of before.  
"Th-that's absurd, he's never mentioned that," she was unable to respond with a clear thought.  
"That's because he never actually worked for Jacques," Qrow said coldly, pacing to the round door. She was still unable to digest it, jaws wide open, shaking from disbelief.  
"When he came in, that's when the White Fang attacks happened. That's when their aggression grew," she says with every ounce of sincerity.  
"That ain't even the best part," Qrow slowly lets his weapon rest beside him. Then he reaches inside his shirt and pulls out his flask, guzzling down a mouthful of sweet, numbing whiskey. Then Glynda faces Winter whose torch is now burning out into a hollow ember.  
"He took photos of me assisting in Father's operations. Not just any operations but the illegal ones," there was fear in her eyes, a ghost clinging on to her heart, pulling her back to her past. "Those are what he's using to blackmail me."  
"He's playing us right from the start. This guy comes in to our circle and suddenly all this happens," he throws out his arms and spins around, basking in the destruction that the White Fang has left in their wake. Then he takes another swivel before closing his near-empty flask.  
"No, that's not it at all," she was running out of words to defend him.  
"Glynda, it was Jackals that attacked our cargo back in Atlas. White Fang would never go that aggressive unless they had back up," says Winter, pleading for her to listen.  
"And I've seen the reports, there were Jackals found amongst the dead in Beacon, hiding in White Fang masks but all the same killing and slaughtering anything that moves." His breath was cold, the pain is lingering.

"Face it, Glynda. Your boy, our informant, is White Fang."

And just like that, Glynda realizes the mistake Ozpin and her made two years ago. "Qrow," she says weakly, her world is slowly drifting into the void of empty promises and broken vows. Lies were sung in the damp air. The echo resonated around them once more, this time, they all heard. It was the sound of screams in the flames. Death brought in by deceit. Plans set in motion, a domino effect, a chain reaction was echoing in the halls. Cries of people fleeing their fate, running to their last breath but none can outrun the crawling fingers of death. And those fingers were something Qrow was all too familiar with.  
"Don't, Glynda," the echo is the only thing he hears now. Guild and burden pressing down upon him, his duty is whispered in there air. Summer Rose's gentle smile visits his wandering thoughts, a radiance all too brief to enjoy. Then behind her smile are the smiles of his nieces, Yang and Ruby. Smiles that were denied a mother. Smiles that were denied a school, one lost an arm and both lost a friend. Smiles that he'll never see again.  
"Qrow, you don't understand," she attempts to reason, the guilt hangs heavy around her neck like necklace of iron and stone.  
"Then help me understand," Qrow walks up to her, cornering her beside the door. His glare tells of a man who is done listening, tired of words and is now searching for action.  
"Why do you defend him, Glynda?" Winter's patience grows ever thin. She examines door and holds her rapier, ready to run down that tunnel and skewer Devin's neck.

"It's because we already knew," she says weakly and she sees the look of horror in his eyes. Winter freezes where she stands. Treason bites hard at the back of her neck, numbing her in her steps. Glynda couldn't continue, the disbelief in her friend's faces held tongue. Qrow shattered like glass, the heart never could hold too much pain. "I'm sorry we never told you."  
"W-why?" he utters in despair.  
"It was all three of our decision," she explains.  
"Even Ironwood?" Winter cracks like the last shards of ice on the dawn of spring.  
Glynda nods. It hurts, it hurts everywhere, "We didn't tell you because of Summer, Qrow," she finally admits it. Qrow fractures where he stands, the light fading from his eyes and is replaced by flame.  
"You knew?" he lets out a question, one that needs no answer. Glynda nods again, guilt chains her down but it unleashes Qrow.

"Glynda, how could you?" Winter questions her resolve.  
"We needed someone from the enemy, someone they didn't know. All of us, any of us, if they just even get a whiff of any of us, we'll lose their tail," she kept herself stern. Qrow was breathing heavily, collecting himself like a bull ready to gore.  
"Didn't you think of the risks? The consequences of putting someone that close to the circle?" her eyes harassing Glynda's, glaring at her with alarm. Qrow leans back and lets Winter take the lead.  
"We never let him in, believe me," Glynda meets her sights with her own. There is serenity in looking into another's eyes, their soul does not lie in those mirrors, there is only truth. "He was just a spy, our eyes in the underworld. He goes where we can't, he risks his life so we don't have to risk ours."  
"Then why didn't you tell me?" he mutters in the dark, the flask in his hand but he refuses to drink.  
Winter and Glynda stop their bickering, Winter backs off a bit letting the headmistress answer the restless Qrow. " We couldn't because we knew-"  
"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" he demands of her, his visions blackens and his heart burns a bright furious fire once again, it hungers for everything in its path and right now, Glynda Goodwitch is there.  
"Because we knew this is how you would react!" she retorts back, holding her ground.  
"You're damn right this is how I'd react," he pushes her back against the wall but she manages to regain her balance before slamming into it. "If you're asking to me to play house with the bastard that killed my friend, that White Fang scum that left one of my nieces in a coma and the other one missing an arm, then you're better damn well know this is how I'd react!" His reason was thrown out the window. The only thing that stayed his arm from swinging his scythe at her was the fear that it wasn't gonna miss.

"Ex-White Fang scum," Devin corrected from the other side of the door. Then they all turned their attention to him and saw the round door opening slightly with Devin's head peaking through. "It's Ex-White Fang, friend." Then he enters their side again and levels with them.  
"I'm not your friend," declared Qrow as he tucks the flask back in his shirt and drew his scythe. About to lunge at Devin with a slash but before he can cut him down for the dog he is, the sly jackal drew something from behind his back. The envelope tucked behind his belt, the one with all of Winter's photos in it and it made her brow furl over her forehead in question of his actions. He backs off a little, raises both hands in the air in surrender.

Qrow steadies his hand, baffled by the little jackal's actions. Then without warning, Devin reaches for his pocket but they all stutter, unable to react as he pulls out his scroll and immediately raising it into the air again. Then he opens up the envelope and places the scroll inside. "Here," he says as he tosses it to Winter.

She opens it instantly and finds nothing.

She flips the envelope over, partly ripping it open. "Where are they?" she demands, infuriated by what she has in her hands.  
"Check the scroll, maybe you'll find them there," he answers, still raising his hands to keep Qrow's at bay.  
Winter folds and unfolds the empty envelope and she had her fill, she takes the scroll and activates it open. Light flashes and phone starts working but another thing is in her way, "What's the password?" she asks as politely as a pissed off Huntress of the Atlesian military that is about gut a little black jackal where stands could.  
"Heart and Feather," he replies with both hands still high, it's actually starting to tire him. "It's, uh, bad I know but it's mine." Winter hastily types them in, unlocking the phone. She scrolls diligently, looking for every application, every program where he could hide the photos. And she found nothing.  
"They're not here," she complains.  
"That's because I don't have any," he admits and she is stunned. Qrow and Glynda also had their jaws open and speechless, "It was a bluff." He smiled at her and only then did she realize that the truth was harder to swallow. "Believe me, if I could have it any other way, I would."  
He then turns to Qrow and meets his wary glare. There are no words that can soothe the man's searing pain. But he tries anyway, "I'm sorry for your nieces. I wish I could have done anything to prevent it. I understand if you hate me for that."  
"Yeah, thanks," he tried his best to hold down his anger, his hate from seeping through his lips.

But it wasn't enough, "But that's not the only reason I hate you," his words were tainted with seething hate from his murderous glare. Devin stands back, he avoids gripping his pistol in the hopes of preventing Qrow from escalating things further.  
In the back of his mind, he knew what he meant. It was a long forgotten memory that could be remembered in the blink of an eye. Clear as day, it burns like poison in the wound. It was not a memory, it was a ghost. And he had prayed for so long for it to go away. He looks back at Qrow who is already clutching his blade tight at his side, "I know," his words, a warm dirge whispered into the night.  
"I'm not letting her slide. You know who I'm talking about," he says, a cold grim reminder.  
"I know," he replied with pouring sorrow. And then he steps forward, undaunted and daring. And Qrow was likewise, he didn't flinch nor blink. Both men just stared each down each other's eyes, finding nothing but hollow reflections as if looking at one-way mirrors. "I won't let it slide either," he repeats with a stern face but Qrow sees it as another empty promise.  
He walks up to him, narrowing the little jackal in his vision, distrust in his glare, "And what will you do?" he questions him cynically.  
"After this," he points out the tunnel, "one last thing, then I'm good."  
Qrow smirks at him and scoffs, "Then slice your head right off your shoulders."  
Devin returns the grin, "I'll even hand it to you on a platter." He nudges his head towards the tunnel and advances, turning into a jackal and scampering off ahead.

Qrow breathes out deeply, stress leaving his system like pressure blowing out the steam pipes. Winter walks up behind him and gives him a pat on the back. "Qrow," suddenly her words were warm to hear. He turns and sees a concerned Winter gazing at him, "Was he the one that killed Summer?" agony in her eyes but he looks away to the floor, looking for solace elsewhere.  
"I'm not sure," he replies with a blank face, "did you know?" he turns to Glynda who is leaning on the wall, caught off guard by his question.  
"No, we didn't," she tells him, matching his eyes, "we're as unsure as you are."  
He nods softly, accepting what bitter truth is laid in front of him. "All I know is he was there when she died," the hall was cold and was getting colder with a draft coming from the tunnel.  
"Qrow," Glynda approaches him nervously, "I just want you to know that once this is over," her tongue was caught by regret, her jaw shivers as if forcing something out. "I'm with you, I'll be with you in the end." She goes up the door and stares into the abyss, "I know he was Ozpin's decision and I trust his decision fully but once this is all over, I'll help you seek justice for Summer."  
Qrow smiles at her and nods, there is relief in remembering who your friends are. "I'll help too," he felt a heavy hand on both his shoulders and found himself in Winter's grasp with a smile to pledge herself to him, "I'll do what I can and knowing me," she leans closer to a whisper, "that's a lot."

Again, he is smiling at them. Something he rarely does nowadays. Winter pulls him into an embrace and he gives her a soft one. He looks at Glynda who was left out and extends his hand. He offers her to join but she refuses, it is just her way. But he persists by reaching out further and rotating his wrists to invite her more. She rolls her eyes and finally grasps his hand and he pulls him into their small circle. Trust never had a sweeter moment.

Then there was a dog's whimper in the night.

They were alerted, startled by the immediate cry. The draft turned to wind and it blew hard through the tunnel, putting out Winter's torchlight. "Devin!" gasps Qrow as he draws his scythe. Glynda readies her crop stick and creates light from it, Winter unsheathes her rapier. The abyss was taunting them, its mad whispers pass through their soft ears like a ghost suffering in limbo. Then they heard the faint footsteps but they sounded more like sprinting. Heavy feet rushed through the tunnel, it was getting softer and softer. "Stay close," said Qrow as he took the lead. Winter and Glynda warily followed behind him. He creeps towards the door, inching as silent as possible. Holding his scythe with both hands, he walks low and slow. Listening to the abyss as it flaunts itself before him but all he hears is the echo once again. Wailing and yearning for him to join it to wallow with it in its mourning.  
"Ssshhh" hushed Winter, "Do you hear that?" a fading musk fell heavy in the air.  
"Yeah, Grimm," Qrow moves forward, he could barely see in front of him but without a doubt was waiting to swing his blade.  
"I do," Glynda erupts into concern, she listens and listens as does Winter but all they hear was weak snarling and growling.  
"Easy now, they're gonna come for us," Qrow is still wary but prepared. The echo resonated again in the room, screams of people on the festival grounds, terror swarming them like locusts on the field. And now it holds him tight in its shadowy grip. Creeping on his neck, cold fingers in the dark giving him a grim reminder of lives he couldn't save.

"Qrow!"Winter awoke him from his stupor, a silent shout in the halls. "We have to go now," she has taken the lead and is running through the tunnel with Glynda lighting the way.  
"What are you doing?!" he begrudgingly howls at them as they fade from him in the distance. "We don't know how many there are down there!" He follows them anyway, watching his sides at all times. The tunnel was long yet narrow, no more than three people could fit at the same time but that didn't stop the three from sprinting as fast as they can.  
"Can't you hear it?" Winter glances back in frustration at Qrow as she continues running as if racing someone to the finish.  
"Hear what?" demanded a confused Qrow.  
"The Grimm's footsteps," answered Winter stubbornly.  
"Exactly," he answers with an abashed confidence. The only thing that could make this night worse was if they were walking into a trap. "Didn't you hear that? It sounded like thudding, there could be a whole pack of 'em down there."  
"No, you don't get it!" she talks back at him, disgruntled that he couldn't or wouldn't understand. "The steps, they're fading."  
"What?" suddenly Winter picks up the pace, Glynda tries her best to run beside her to illuminate the way and Qrow follows with careful sprints, caution never did hurt that much.

"Qrow, they're running away with from us," Winter replies sadly, painting a grim image in Qrow's mind. The creatures of Grimm are fleeing from them, for once they respected a losing battle. But they weren't retreating without snatching away a spoil of war.

And then there was another whimper in the night, high-pitched and distant.

"They're taking him with them!" Glynda sprints forward as fast as she can. The floor cracks beneath her heels, the wind brushes fiercely against her face. All she could do was ignore it.  
"Hurry!"Winter rushes Qrow who is lagging behind. He picks up the pace, his hands grip his scythe with crushing anticipation. In the ruins flowing with Grimm, a rescue mission is a death sentence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They night was long but the tunnel felt longer. An endless road with no other directions to turn to, there was just forward. And in the long road, hope hangs by a thread and a friend is rapidly slipping away into the darkness. They had no choice but to keep moving forward. They quicken their tiring legs, charging blindly into the hollow, narrowing halls, watching for the slightest silhouette of movement, listening to the faintest sound of wolves and jackals.

Beowolves snarl at a distance, fighting over spoils. A jackal struggles but he fights, he's losing but he fights. Gunshots ring in the distance.

"We're getting close!" Glynda pushes on, her wand lights the way.  
"He's not gonna last much longer, come on!" Winter overtakes her, rapier in hand she charges into the shadow like a fierce blizzard, raw and raging. The aroma of hate and malevolence fills the air like a cloud of smoke, fogging anything from view. It was a cloud she was all too familiar with. Their feet thumped the ground like warhorses' on the field. Every step was one of desperation. She breathes in as she ran and now finds herself far from Glynda's light but it doesn't deter her.

It's almost funny really. Only a few days ago she would've wanted to behead the smiling jackal. She never did notice him among her father's staff. He was just another sellsword Jacques hired to keep his business ventures safe. She refused to help him and pursued her military career and yet on the few occasions she was generous, he was there. Caught her at the right time, misplaced her and her father's narrative. An officer of Atlas working for the Jacques, further festering the corruption in Mantle. Careless, that's what she thought to herself at first when Devin gave her that call and she saw her hard-earned legacy crumbling down before her eyes. And yet now, she sees something else.

The call of duty didn't bring her here, fear played a bigger part. Fear drove her back to Beacon, fear made her lose control, fear stayed her hand. But fear isn't why she remains here even after he tells her the truth and after he's gone. With that fear gone, her life is secure, the narrative stays the same and yet she didn't turn back. Instead, she's running down the narrowing tunnel, chasing after Grimm. It wasn't duty that summoned her here and it wasn't fear that kept her from walking away. It was clarity that called her to action and clarity that had her saving the man mad enough to ruin her future. She faces in front and is no longer suffocated by the pitch black darkness. Starlight seeps out through a small hatch on the ceiling at the end of the hall. But it was bright enough to reveal what was below it, what was in front of them. A familiar black shade and fiery-red eyes glow in the shadows. She saw it trying to climb up the hatch.

And it saw her.

The Beowolf howled into the night, ferocious and hungry. It goes down on all fours and begins running towards her at full speed. Its claws dig deep into the damp floor, lunging itself closer to the Atlas officer. She holds her ground and straightens her stance, back poised into a perfect arc, her heels click and she points her rapier's tip onto the grimm. She closes her eyes, listening to the sound of the charging beowolf, snarling in its wake. One deep breath to soothe the nerves, a gust of air brushing up against her hair, carrying it in its passing. The beast closes in, she can smell its stench reeking of vile putrefaction. Her grip tightens, her muscles tense as she waits for the moment.

And then the hatch blew open, three more beowolves enter fray, gnawing and biting. And the one in front of her swiped quick, its paws swung at her fast.

But she was faster, the stench of its breath dulls her nose for a moment and it is the moment she needs as she bends over and ducks its swing. Its sharp claws touching only tendrils of her silver hair. One step back and a swift pull back of her hand she thrusts it to the monsters neck with a snap of her wrist, the rapier's steel skewers flesh and in an instant, the creature fades into dust. But more were coming, hungrier and angrier. The first one charges from the left then jumps onto the wall, using it to lunge itself faster at Winter. Again, she was faster and she parries its claws as it stumbles onto the ground. One ran down the middle and launched itself to her aimlessly.

Too easy, a step back and she lifts up her rapier high. And as the beast ends its flight, she drives the blade deep into its skull and piercing whatever brain matter something like that had. The last got an open window. The proud officer was still in her poise when it started swinging left and right rapidly. A shower of jagged claws rained upon Winter, she kept her stance as best she could but was left to parrying the grimm's attacks. The steel doesn't penetrate easily on Grimm's bones, they are tough shells that weapons can't get through easily. For once, it was pushing her back with its strikes. Then suddenly its right paw is locked to her blade. She tries to yank it back to her but its steel is stuck to the beowolf's shell.

And it knows this. Its left paw pulls back as Winter continues to regain her rapier. The grimm stands its ground, an immovable object holding a think blade tight. It sees the opening, a struggling huntsmen fighting in the darkness, trying her hardest to keep her stance. Subtly it moves, twists its body for a blow, gathering momentum in its free limb until finally, it has pulled back and then it swings.

But Winter presses a button on her weapon and a small dagger pops out from its pommel instantly into her other hand. Light to the touch, she grabs it and immediately stabs the grimm in the eye. Its swing stops overhead and it freezes in its feet. Paralyzed in place, Winter turns the dagger, making sure it does as much damage as possible. Flesh squishes under the metal and finally the beowolf turns to dust and fades into the night.

She lets out a breath of relief, it was too close a call. Then she looks up and sees the night sky, barking and gunshots are still being heard in the distance. She walks forward to the hatch, it wasn't too high and it had a small lather attached to the opening. She tucks the dagger back into her rapier and as she takes the first step—

The sudden bang of a shotgun blows behind her.

She turns around in fear, caught off guard by the gunshot but she sees Glynda still holding her little luminescent wand while Qrow was holding the massive shotgun that was once his scythe. The creature of Grimm lay at Winter's feet, lifeless and then it faded into dust, slowly carried by the wind. "There," she points at the busted hatch.  
"Well," he closes his eyes, preparing himself for what's next then looks at her with great sincerity. "Lead the way then, officer," his starlight smile is blessing. She smiles back then presses on.

Outside, a band of grimm swarm an injured Devin, his back is aching and his vision blurs. Ursai and Beowolves hover around him carefully as he swings his dagger aimlessly at them. Their low growls hummed like a growing thunder. Their fangs hunger, blood lust in their eyes, and his arms bleed from exhaustion. "Go ahead you bastards, make my day," his wit is beginning to bend but it never stops him from cracking that grin against the enemy. He already took out two of them but not without wounds, and those wounds are starting to weigh down. He fiddles the dagger in his hand, matching the beasts' ferocity. They snarl at him, he snarls back. He always was a good liar, always was good at keeping up the charade, to stall. But not this time, he can feel his limb about to give. The blade in his hand is getting heavier by the second. He can't follow their eyes anymore, can't meet their gazes with his own. He can only hope that he's faster than the rest of them. A beowolf flinch at the corner of his eye.

And then another leaps up from behind him.

He turns too late, its front paws block out the moon as he moves to swing his blade but its jaws are wide open, about to bite down his face.

"Duck!" screams Qrow from the distance, he aims for the beast but waits for the little jackal to hear him. He didn't wait long. Devin crouches down and tumbles forward, moving below its belly as it misses its bite. Qrow pulls the trigger, it was light as a feather as always. The shells burn in the air, singeing the coal black fur of the grimm around Devin. Their screams rose higher than the stars, agony brought by dust and gunpowder. They scatter for a moment, their circle cracks open and in comes Glynda and Winter charging like white angels. Bringing down the fury of Beacon on the stunned monsters.

Winter didn't fight, she danced in the field. Each strike sang of grace and each step beautifully choreographed. She arches her back to dodge an Ursai's swing and in her hand, her rapier delivers a blow to its belly, slicing it wide open. It yelps in pain, its guts spill like wine as it tries to put it all back. And with one last swipe, she severs its head clean off and it slides down its shoulders as the grimm turns to dust.

Glynda was quite the opposite. Her moves were quick snaps and throws. Her crop stick does all the work, launching grimm into the air as if she was swatting flies. The ground crumbled before her, taking the beasts with it, crushing them beneath boulders. A fierce, disciplined stance mows down the grimm like floodwaters over the mountainside.

Qrow catches up to the breathless jackal, a beowolf sneaks up from behind the pack and attempts to pounce at Devin. His gun reforms the scythe and then he swings it so hard that it cleaved the beowolf in half from mouth to tail. "Get up, idiot. We have your back," he laughs with him as he fights off incoming Grimm.  
"What took you so long?" Devin laughs back, sticking his dagger between an Ursai's eyes.  
"We weren't sure if we wanted to save you," his scythe founds an Ursai's skull, sundering it in two.  
"Well, I guess here's my answer," he scoffs as he turns the dagger into a pistol and opened fire the Grimm.  
"Devin!" Winter calls his attention, "Which way?" she asks as she stabs down the throat of a beowolf.  
"Over there," Devin nudges his head and points to the Amity coliseum. A towering arc was before them, shards of dust lay about the base, making for them an entrance to the coliseum. "We need to go now." Devin shoots through the wall of Grimm blocking their path. A few go down but not enough for an opening, and Qrow sees this two.  
"Allow me," he gives Devin a quick bow and then rampages through the grimm. His scythe found its mark. Grimm flew into the night, whimpering in their deaths as they dissipate into clouds of dust.  
"Here, quickly!" Devin calls on Winter and Glynda. They shoved back the remaining grimm and ran for the entrance. Qrow carved their parth, while they protect Qrow, downing every approaching monster, not letting one come into their way.

Shards of glass littered the ground under them. They ran as fast as possible into the inside as the monsters slowly ascend into a horde. They hopped over debris and rubble as they treaded through the ruined floors of Amity coliseum. It was a rough way, the toppled down seating areas created rocky grounds. Some obstacles were just steps while others were walls twice their height. Qrow leads them through the ruins. He was agile and swift as he walked over the high walls and cuts down straggling grimm, further carving the path for his friends. Devin follows behind, he shifts into his jackal form because is too weak to fight any longer. He's still able to pick up his pace alongside Qrow, his eyes remain vigilant. And then his head perks up, he catches wind of something, a scent of metal and steel. Winter and Glynda ran behind, Glynda uses her semblance to disassemble and reassemble the walls and the floor, barring out the pursuing grimm. Winter makes sure she has space, her rapier pierces through skin and flesh as the grimm are unable to find a way to Glynda, most of them were being left behind.

Then Qrow spots a balcony to the right, it was wide open, perfect for the escape, "Hey, Ice Queen!" he calls on her irresponsibly. But she was in the middle of fighting and was not in a good mood to react.  
"WHAT?!" she screams at Qrow as if breathing fire down him.  
"Toss me the keys to your ship!" he asks as politely as he could.  
"WHAT?!" and he gets the same response.  
"Maybe we can make it out of here alive," he catches her attention and Glynda covers for her to look. In front of him was a sky full of stars, the balcony was still intact.  
She pauses for a moment, and then realizes to look for her keys. She reaches down her coat pocket and the sound of metal dangle on a chain. "Here!" she says as she hurls them at Qrow who clasps his hands, ready to catch it.

But it was caught mid-air by Devin.

"What are you doing?" Qrow scolds him, the taste of freedom leaving his lips.  
"We can't. Not yet, we still have to find Penny," he reminds them as he drives his dagger on the side of a lunging beowolf.  
"Are you crazy?" Qrow wasn't sure if crazy would have been enough, profanities might have been a better word choice. "Grimm are swarming in on us! We're not gonna last an hour here." He slashes to his side and an ursai falls dead.  
"I only need ten minutes," he refuses to move, stubborn as always.  
"That is pointless, you don't even know where to start looking for her."

The Devin holds out his hand and in it was a metallic arm of Penny Polendina.

They stare at him for a second like he was holding a holy goblet in his palms. Glynda finishes walling out the grimm from the outside, a final block of cement and it crushes the a beowolf trying slip through. Then she joins the rest in staring at the arm. Qrow couldn't believe it, speechless he looks the sly jackal in the eye. Disbelief hangs by his neck, dragging him down from what he's looking at right now. But then he smiles at him, pride hints at his smile and he is looking to meet Devin's eyes in agreement.

But then the little jackal refuses to meet his.

He takes notice, Devin starts to fumble around him like a system losing control over itself. He paces around rapidly, his gaze spacing out into the ruins. "Devin?" Qrow goes down to him, scythe still in hand and vigilant as ever to incoming Grimm, fortunate that none have come yet. "Devin?" he asks again but the jackal just begins to circle around like a lost sheep. "Devin?" he asks one last time.

And the suddenly, he jerks up and looks at Qrow's eyes blankly. And that's when Qrow saw the deep blue glow from his eyes yet it showed an instant determination from the little black jackal. "He's in the trance!" he screams to his teammates who look at each other for a moment before setting their sights again on Devin.

Devin just walks past Qrow, he tried to stop him but Devin just handed him the arm and pushed him away. He climbs up the mounds of rubble, smoothly scaling off the sides of the debris like a spider crawling on the walls. Each grip propels him further up and over the rubble, he can see Penny's missing limbs on the other side. They pull at him like magnets on metal, drawing him closer and closer. He reaches the top with ease, the parts are just a few yards away, hidden under the coliseum's collapsed floors and behind an army of beowolves that have spotted the entranced jackal.

Qrow spring in his step, he cuts down one last approaching beowolf as he sees Devin on top of the mound, more grimm closing in on him from all sides. He runs as fast as he could before the little jackal begins his descent. The grimm have chosen to ignore Qrow and set their sights on easy pickings. "Glynda!" he yells as he turns his scythe into a shotgun and fires away at the approaching beasts.  
Glynda hears his call and immediately leaves the newly made wall and runs to them. Winter stands behind her, trying to wrap her thoughts around what's happening. But then the horde of grimm behind the wall pounded heavily on the crumbling concrete. She backs away, combat ready but uncertain of how much she can fend off. Glynda spots her ready to make her last stand but she disagrees, "Come here!" she tells Winter as the wall weakens and she gladly runs to the good professor's side.

Debris and concrete pieces begin to fly across the room, more and more grimm converge behind the wall, forcing their way in. Glynda and Winter run to Devin who is now surrounded on all corners. "Qrow!" Glynda screams as she waves her crop, he reshapes his weapon again. One by one, blocks of rock and rubble emerge from the mound creating makeshift steps for Qrow to use. And he eagerly rushes in, one hand carrying Penny's arm and the other swinging wildly at the pouncing wolves. His steel meets darken flesh and they fall like flies.

The wall behind them collapses, more grimm flood the room. Winter and Glynda already climb up the stairs and catch with Qrow but Devin's eye only had one prize. He jumps down the mound and lands safely on his feet, instantly the wave of Grimm fall upon him like rain. But instantly, Qrow and Winter follow him without a second thought. Glynda stays last and she restarts her work fast. Shattered columns and broken floor tiles float around her, her semblance takes command of them and carefully she stacks them once more. The grimm sprint as fast as they could but she reassembles the room like it was hers to toy with. The ground beneath them quakes, the ceiling collapses upon the horde, revealing the timid starlight. They shine on the ground before her and something catches her eye, something orange.

Under the mound, Winter does not lose her grace. Each parry is followed by a strike to a wolf's neck and each dodge turned to a beast's beheading. Qrow scoffs at her but matches grace with ferocity. He chops down rows of grimm like lumber. His scythe cleaves them in half, it's almost as if they hand themselves to the two willingly. Qrow and Winter carve a path among dusting corpses of dead beowolves as Devin leads the way to the next part.

Light shines upon cold steel in the distance, below a large piece of the ceiling are two legs, saved only by sheer luck as the large chunk was stopped in its fall by being balanced by weapon lockers. Devin's eyes spark and then he runs to them, blindly and enthralled. "Winter!" Qrow directs her to him as another troop of grimm converge in front. And she moves swift in the wind, like a hawk diving down the sky, an unwary rabbit in her sights.

A beowolf opens its jaws before Devin's face, another aims for his knees, and one more pounces on his back but this one had her rapier impale its heart and pierces out of its chest. Winter rages on them as she jumps instantly onto the next, driving her blade through its mouth, choking it in Atlesian steel. On her left, her dagger finds the temple of another beowolf. It falls, writhing in pain. Swarms upon swarms envelop her and Devin, and swarms upon swarms fall before her feet as she bursts like a cyclone, cutting down all in its wake.

Devin picks up the legs, a light smile on his face but then he smells the foul scent in front of him and in comes charging another beowolf.

And it meets a whirling scythe thrown by Qrow as he sprints with all his strength away from the chasing mob and back onto his weapon. But the wave pushes him back further and even repels Winter's fierce stand. They retreat back beside Devin whose sights are set on another part.

But when he turned, he went left and walked slowly into the wolves.

"Stop him! Quick!" Qrow tells Winter with chaos in his voice. She immediately wraps him in her arms but then parts them with a burst of strength and shoves her back to a cornered Qrow.  
"What the hell's he doing?"Winter asks while the blind jackal still moves forward, carrying Penny's severed legs with him.  
"He's finding the lost pieces," was all that he could say as they watch the wolves close in once more. Qrow tries to stand up but he finds himself fending off the waves of grimm before them. Winter is cornered with him but still she stands by his side, grace and ferocity mingled in the battlefield. And they try again to carve their way into Devin's guard, to protect him as he completes his mission.

But as the wolves snarl and bare their teeth on him, a boulder rolls down on them. It came from the side, tumbling into the horde and crushing everything in its path. "Winter," Glynda comes down to them, carrying something with her while amassing huge boulders and throwing them into the grimm's ranks. "Do you still have the keys to your ship?"  
Winter was caught by surprise, she reaches for her pockets and inside her coat but was able to present it to Glynda without trouble. "Why?"

Then Glynda lifts up what she was carrying, Penny Polendina's disabled head.

"We're done here," she gladly declares as she turns around and begins tossing beowolves like pebbles on the waters. "I'll give us an opening, protect me and Devin." Qrow and Winter nods, and then the three charge forward, clearing every last beowolf. Hungering jaws ate cold steel as Qrow swung his scythe with ease, its edge tearing apart blind grimm. Winter sticks them through the skull, skewering whatever brain matter they have. It always surprises her how they still twitch when her rapier finds their temples. She never thought they'd have something like that, and even if they did, she thought she would've been used to it by now. Glynda walks past both of them, the path they carve is now wide enough for her to race against Devin who is still making his way to the last piece, Penny's torso. A few straggling beowolves stand in his way and then they lunge at him, fangs wet with hunger. But they felt the weight of concrete floor tiles as Glynda uses her semblance to launch the monsters back, pinning them against the wall. And finally, Devin picks up the last piece of Penny Polendina.

And he knocks himself out of the trance.

He turns around and sees the other pieces with Qrow and Glynda, he looks at the professor and she smiles at him proudly. He smiles back and then she nods to Winter before pushing out a new hole in the wall. Winter and Qrow fend off grimm as the four back themselves to the hole. Devin stood at its edge and it was a long way down.

"Jump!" screamed Winter as she held her rapier.  
"What?" questioned Devin as he faced her with a confused expression.  
"I said jump!" she repeats as the grimm advance.  
"Yeah, I know what you said I meant what the hell?"  
"Oh for god's sake," Qrow lost his patience and pushed him out of the hole. He fell seven-stories and thought of nothing except for when he'll stop falling. Regret didn't meet him again this time, his tired mind found no relief in it. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited. Perhaps it would be quick.

And it was as he fell through a small hatch and into metal floors. His back landed poorly, and the heavy parts of Penny didn't help. But nevertheless, he was fine. Fine until he set aside the parts and saw Glynda Goodwitch falling onto him. "Oh, f-" finishing was all he wanted and was still denied of it as she landed on his belly, pushing out all the wind in his system.  
She gets up on her feet, throws Penny's head to the side and starts pushing him to the side, "Move, move" she orders him frantically as the Winter drops in next, landing with her feet apart and immediately moving towards the driver's seat. Qrow follows in his bird form, gently perching on the ladder before transforming back to his human form and putting the last piece along with the others.

He looks back, Glynda looks back, and Devin sits back as Winter pulls a couple of levers and activates buttons. "Hang on," she says without waiting for anyone to hang on and shifts the airship's speed to its maximum, flinging the three of them to the back.  
"Slow down, Ice queen," shakes out Qrow through his vibrating mouth as the speed pins him to the steel wall.  
"I can't!" she answers swiftly, "not risking Nevermores on our tail not now. She pushes the pedal down further, on the camera screens to her right, two Nevermores give chase to the ship. "Not today," she mutters to herself as she waits. The airship was within the birds' grip, they fire bolts of sharpened feathers first but Winter evades them with masterful handling. But they were still harder to shake off as they extend their talons.

"Come on, come on that's it," she whispers to herself again, maddening words from a mad woman."

"What are-?" Devin realizes what's happening. He's sees the screens, he understands that they are utterly and completely screwed.  
"Closer," Winter mutters to herself again, she can see the Nevermores closing in on the airship's back, talons jagged enough to rip through steel. "Closer." The birds unleash their bladed grip, about to lock on the ship's roofs.

And in a blink of an eye, she steps on another pedal and opens two panels at the outside of the ship. Both had small cylindrical containers with volatile green liquid. She opens a case on the side of her control desk, she flicks the switch inside it and then it furthers spiral fast into the sky as the containers blew heaves of fire upon the nevermores, burning their feet and repelling them off. The airship travels a hundred miles in a few minutes. It flew over Vale and over the woods of the Emerald Forest.

And then it slows down, loses the burst of speed it had.

The three of them were peeled off the walls. They felt like posters glued on the side of alleys and tunnels, speechless and dazed. Winter gets off her seat, a day's work for her and a night's adventure. She sets the ship into autopilot and it glides in the air smoothly. She goes back to her friends to check up on them with a wide grin on her face, "Are you all alright?"  
They groan at her, first time experiencing that much pressure from speed. "Ah, yes. Very fine, luv," Devin answers first, the world spins around him and blurs the colors out before his eyes. "We're all peachy."  
"That's good to hear," Winter gives him a smug face before she extends her hand on him and on Qrow. She pulled them up and they almost fell as soon they stood on two feet.  
"Let's not do that again," Qrow whispers to her before retreating to a spare room to sit. Glynda chose to rest on the floor. Deep breaths and warm air, she closes her eyes and finds peace within the confines of her mind. Rest was imminent for her and never has she found another cold steel floor as warm as this.

Winter smiles on Devin, a thousand words behind that smile and a thousand words she could not say. Fortunately, he could. "Well," he tries to look away from her eyes but his spinning world permits him otherwise, "I believe some apologies are in order," he clears his throat as attempts to keep his balance, neither of which truly helps. "I'm sorry, for tricking you to come here."  
She just scoffs at him and gives him a pat on the shoulder, "You don't need to be sorry for me." Her words were light to hear and pleasant to the skin but she wasn't finished yet, "However," she ends it there and looks at Qrow sitting on her bed drinking himself to death. Devin understands, he nods and then takes in a deep breath as he looks to face his deepest regret.

Qrow rests easy sitting on top of Winter's bed. The flask in his hand is nearly empty, save a few drops. He intends to savor those drops, especially as he sees Devin Jackal at the corner of his eye. "Well, we're done here. You got what you want."  
Devin leans on the wall, he reaches for his back pocket and pulls out the crumpled box of cigarettes. He takes one out and begins smoking calmly as if sharing one with Qrow. "Yeah, guess so." He lets out a smile at him but he doesn't smile back.  
"Now what will you do?" he asks half-heartedly as he takes one quick sip.  
"Now, I'll fix her in my ship once we find safe ground to land. Then I'll ship her back to Atlas." His eyes fixate upon Winter's personals in her quarters but he limits himself to just eyeing.  
"Huh," Qrow accepts, even for a moment, he remembers that all of this is just Devin trying, trying to mend the wounds. But that won't come easy, the echo was weak now and he would like to ask, "And what would you do after that?"  
He scoffs in reply again, knowing the clever crow's next answer, "My last mission."  
He sighs in reply, one of defeat and acceptance. If that was what the old headmaster had planned, then he still must put faith in him. "Team RWBY, eh?" Devin nods and he shrugs. "Listen, you may not be the first person I'd trust with this job. Especially considering that two of my nieces are in that team," he pauses, the heat within him rising to a boiling point but he cools down easily with a sip of his flask. The bitter taste becomes a warm feeling in his belly, "but I have to ask—"

"Will you tell them or should I?"

The words dug deep into his soul, a ghost clawing its way back into the deepest cesspits of his memory. Regrets he gave no time for were now resurfacing out into his being. "I don't know," the idea of the confrontation rips apart his heavy heart.  
"You better," he reminds him.  
"I'll handle it when the time comes."

"I bet you would," he takes one last sip of the flask and empties its last drops on his tongue. Qrow stands up and walks to him. "Ruby and Yang are precious to me, hope you understand that."  
He shrugs, "I do, maybe I can only imagine it but I do."  
"Let them have it gently, alright?" he tells him face to face, blank eyes stare into empty ones as Qrow pats him on the shoulder.  
"Hopefully, I don't get there before I take them to Mistral. Altercations like that are what gets you killed on the road."  
"Yeah," he replies softly, half laughing, half concerned. "But don't blame yourself if you can't get on their good side," he heads out the door. "Doubt you'd get along with either of them, especially Yang."

He lets out a short laugh and a sly smile, "Oh, I think we'd get along just fine."


End file.
